Cloth roll drive



March 19, 1963 K. L. GIACO MUZZI CLOTH ROLL DRIVE 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 5. 1959 IN VEN TOR. KENNETH L. GMCOMUZZ/ A TTORNE Y March 19, 1963 K. L. GIACOMUZZI CLOTH ROLL DRIVE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 3. 1959 INVENTOR. KENNETH LGlncoMuzzr A TTORNEY March 19, 1963 K. L. GIACOMUZZI 3,081,855

CLOTH ROLL DRIVE Filed Sept. 3, 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 L g "M I l i H s a 2 m a 5 IN VEN T0 KENNETH L. GIflCOMU A TTORNE Y United States Patent 3,081,855 CLOTH ROLL DRIVE Kenneth L. Giacomuzzi, Milford, Mass, assignor to lgfaper Corporation, Hopedale, Mass, a corporation of awe Filed Sept. 3, 1959, Ser. No. 837,828 2 Qlaims. (Cl. 192-93) This invention relates to looms for weaving, and in particular, to a drive means for the cloth roll of such looms.

It is the general object of the invention to provide a simple and eifective drive means for a cloth roll which will impart a uniform tension to the woven fabric being wound on the roll regardless of the amount of material already wound thereon, and which is easily engageable and releasable from the front of the loom thereby simplifying the dofling operation.

It is a more specific object of the invention to provide a drive means for a cloth roll which includes a pair of adjacent friction plates loosely mounted on a supporting shaft, one of the plates being positively driven and the other of the plates including at least one cammed surface adapted to be engaged by means fixed to the shaft to force the two plates into driving relationship, adjustable means being provided to vary the pressure applied to the plates, thereby to select a desired tension on the cloth being wound and at the same time permitting some slippage between the plates in order to permit the cloth roll to be driven at a slower rate as cloth is built up thereon in order to maintain that desired tension throughout the extent of the winding.

It is a further object to provide drive means for a cloth roll which includes a minimum number of parts, the major ones of which require practically no machining.

It is a further object to provide a friction drive for a cloth roll which may very simply be released from the front of the loom and which may just as easily be reengaged while automatically reestablishing a preset tension on the cloth to be wound.

Other objects of the invention will become apparent from the description to follow.

In looms for weaving, fabric, after it is woven, is passed over a take-up roller or other means adapted to draw it at a fixed rate and to advance it on toward a cloth roll which is rotated in some convenient manner for winding upthat fabric until a roll of prescribed diameter has been formed whereupon the roll and material may be removed from the loom. The cloth roll is borne upon gudgeons one at least of which is positively driven and which therefore rotates the fabric roll to wind the material as fast as it is woven.

In United States Patent No. 2,127,659 a cloth roll drive is disclosed which includes a driving member comprising a revolving friction drum loosely mounted on a gudgeon, a pair of friction shoes having fixed driving connection with the gudgeon, the shoes being pivoted about a common point and being curved to fit the external periphery of the drum, a bolt passing through the free ends of the shoes, spring means acting on these free ends to urge the shoes into frictional engagement with the drum, and a manually rotatable cam mounted on the bolt for selective engagement with the free end of one of the shoes to release the shoes from the drum against the action of the spring means.

The present invention represents an improvement and simplification of that type of cloth roll drive according to which a pair of fiat friction plate members are loosely mounted in face-to-face relationship on a gudgeon at one end of the cloth roll, one of the plate members being positively driven by a chain or other means at a constant rate of speed. The other plate member includes cammed surface portions which are selectively engageable with a member fixed on the supporting gudgeon and which upon slight rotation of that plate member in one direction force the two plate members into driving relationship thereby transmitting torque through both plate members to the fixed member and finally to the gudgeon. A slight rotationof the cammed plate member in the opposite direction releases the members topermit the cloth roll to be doifed easily. Slippage between the friction plate members permits a variation in the rate of rotation of the cloth roll as the diameter of the cloth supply increases thereby to maintain a constant tension on the fabric being wound.

The invention may be more completely understood by reference to the accompanying description and figures of drawing, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a front elevation, partly in section, of a portion of a loom to which the invention has been applied.

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the friction plate adjuster.

FIG. 3 is a side elevation of a supporting bracket for one end of the cloth roll gldgeon.

FIG. 4 is a side elevation of the friction plate.

FIG. 5 is a section taken on line 55 of FIG. 4.

FIG. -6 is a side elevation of the hand wheel.

FIG. 7 is a side elevation of a supporting bracket for the other end of the cloth roll gudgeon.

FIG. 8 is a view, partly in section, indicating the manner of mounting the various members on the gudgeon.

In FIG. 1 the right hand loomside is shown in part at 10 and a vertical supporting member 11 is fixed slightly inwardly thereof. A cloth roll 12 adapted to have cloth or fabric 13 wound thereon as it is woven on the loom is normally supported by shafts or gudgeons at its opposite ends from which the roll may be removed in known manner. One of these gudgeons is shown at 14 at the right side of the cloth roll and is driven by a novel mechanism to be described although the invention may, of course, be applied at the opposite end to the left hand gudgeon.

The gudgeon 14 is supported at its opposite ends by bearings 15 and 16 contained within brackets 17 and 18, respectively, fastened one each to the member 11 and loomside 10 by any suitable retaining means 19. A hand wheel 20 having a plurality of fingers 21 to facilitate manipulation thereof includes a hub portion 22 on the left side as seen in FIG. 1 by means of which the hand wheel is fixed to the gudgeon by one or more set screws 23. The right hand side of the wheel includes a short hub portion 24 against the side of which a thrust washer 25 is forced when the drive is operating.

A circular first friction plate member 26 is loosely mounted on the gudgeon adjacent the thrust washer and includes a hub portion having a sprocket 27 formed integrally therewith. When the loom is running, this plate member is driven constantly at a uniform rate of speed by an endless chain 28 which is interconnected to a continuously rotating gear member (not shown) from a suitable location on the loom. A fiat disc 29 of cork, leather or any other material having a relatively high coeificient of friction is attached to the right side of the friction plate to provide an area of frictional resistance between that plate and a second friction plate 30 adjacent thereto in face-to-face relationship. This second plate may be of cast iron and is also loosely mounted on the gudgeon. its left side as seen in FIG. 1 provides a flat surface portion for engagement with the friction material while the right side thereof is provided with at least one and preferably three or more recessed cammed arcuate surface areas 31 spaced an equal distance outwardly from the center of the plate and each of which describes an arc of equal extent. As seen in FIGS. 4 and 5 the recessed portions increase in depth in a clockwise direction and at their outset may include a non-tapered portion 32 parallel with the face of the plate. This plate is further provided with a plurality of fingers 33 similar to those of the hand wheel to facilitate engagement and release of the drive unit.

A spring S is provided within a central cavity in the first friction plate as seen in FIG. 1 to assure separation of the two friction plates when the drive is released.

The means through which torque is ultimately transmitted to the gudgeon is indicated generally by the arrow 34 and may be termed a friction plate adjuster. This member is fixed to the gudgeon by means of set screws 35 passing through recessed portions in the circumfer-v ence thereof. Adjustment screws 36 are provided in threaded openings in the adjuster at a distance outwardly from the center equal to that of the recessed areas of the friction plate 30 and spaced accordingly. Helical inserts (not shown) of known structure are provided in the openings to maintain the adjustment screws in a fixed position so that they are not affected by loom vibration.

The manner in which the cloth roll drive operates will now be described. Any reference to the direction of rotation will be considered as being viewed from the right side of FIG. 1. The chain 28 rotates the first friction plate at a uniform rate of speed in a clockwise direction whenever the loom is in operation. In order to transmit torque to the gudgeon, it is necessary for the cammed surface areas 31 to be engaged by the adjustment screws which are set so that they contact these areas at about the midpoint thereof in a circumferential direction. This engagement is achieved by merely giving the plate 30 a slight twist in a clockwise direction. The two friction plates will then be forced to the left against the thrust washer :and hand wheel thereby to lock all parts in driving relation and to transmit torque to the gudgeon through the hand wheel and friction plate adjuster. The chain normally rotates the sprocket at a rate which is slightly faster than needed in order to rotate cloth roll 12 at the maximum speed required to wind and tension the cloth as it is woven so that as soon as the preset tension is reached in the cloth, there is some slippage between the first and second friction plates. This slippage is small when the diameter of cloth on the cloth roll is small, and increases as the amount of cloth is built up due to the necessary decrease in the rate of rotation of the cloth roll and since the first friction plate 26 is rotating at a constant rate. Tension on the cloth is adjusted by merely turning the screws 36 in one direction or the other and once the desired tension is established, the adjustment of these screws need never be disturbed.

When a predetermined amount of cloth has been built up on the roll and doffing is desired, it is only necessary to give the plate 30 a slight turn in a counterclockwise direction to release the drive unit. When a new roll has been substituted, the hand wheel 20 is turned clockwise to remove any slack and then the plate 30 is turned in the same direction to engage the drive unit. No slippage will occur between the two plates until the preset tension has been reached and then the drive will operate as above set forth.

While one embodiment of the invention has been disclosed, it is to be understood that the inventive concept may be carried out in :a number of ways. This invention is, therefore, not to be limited to the precise details described, but is intended to embrace all variations and modifications thereof falling within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the claims.

I claim:

1. In combination, a cloth roll drive for loom takeups, a cloth roll having a gudgeon extending from one end thereof, and means for driving said gudgeon including a first friction plate loosely mounted on said gudgeon, a driven element fixedly secured to said gudgeon, said first friction plate having a friction surface extending toward said driven element, a second friction plate interposed between said friction surface and the driven element, said second friction plate being loosely mounted on said gudgeon and having a friction surface adapted to be engaged by the friction surface on the driving means,

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 316,259 Grater Apr. 21, 1885 377,573 Murray Feb. 7, 1888 522,531 McCahey July 3, 1894 646,305 Morrow -e Mar. 27, 1900 1,090,462 Ebenreiter Mar. 17, 1914 1,711,600 Holmes May 7, 1929 2,127,659 Budzyna Aug. 23, 1938 2,260,770 Brownlee Oct. 28, 1941 

1. IN COMBINATION, A CLOTH ROLL DRIVE FOR LOOM TAKEUPS, A CLOTH ROLL HAVING A GUDGEON EXTENDING FROM ONE END THEREOF, AND MEANS FOR DRIVING SAID GUDGEON INCLUDING A FIRST FRICTION PLATE LOOSELY MOUNTED ON SAID GUDGEON, A DRIVEN ELEMENT FIXEDLY SECURED TO SAID GUDGEON, SAID FIRST FRICTION PLATE HAVING A FRICTION SURFACE EXTENDING TOWARD SAID DRIVEN ELEMENT, A SECOND FRICTION PLATE INTERPOSED BETWEEN SAID FRICTION SURFACE AND THE DRIVEN ELEMENT, SAID SECOND FRICTION PLATE BEING LOOSELY MOUNTED ON SAID GUDGEON AND HAVING A FRICTION SURFACE ADAPTED TO BE ENGAGED BY THE FRICTION SURFACE ON THE DRIVING MEANS, AND COMPLEMENTARY CAMMING MEANS ON THE SECOND FRICTION 